I’ve been too lazy to get to part 4 of the YC-15 series this week. I’m having motivational issues.
First up Russian Live Leak has an interesting perspective on the Aviation Museum at Monino.
Here’s a sample of what you’ll see:
There’s a Tupelov TU-4 “Bull”, a Tupelov TU-16 “Badger and a Mil Mi-12 “Homer.”
It’s interesting to see the size difference between the different aircraft.
Next up, a link of World War 2 Russian aircraft. They appear to be taken during the time period.
I’m pretty sure that’s an Ilyushin DB-3.
There has been a lot of interesting books to come out about the Red Air Force after the Soviet World War 2 archives were opened up. Don’t tell anyone that I’m supposed to finish a book review for that…
[*ADDED] Continuing my fetish for twin-boom airplanes. The Warbird Information Exchange has some really cool photos of the Northrop P-61 Black Widow.
Also, today in 1972 was a red letter day in the dangerous skies over North Vietnam. Never forget.
Showtime 100. GIT SUM!
The Lexicans 
Supposedly true story about the Tu-4 – basically it was reverse engineered from a couple of B-29s that force landed in the USSR. As the nice folks at Tupolev were poring over it piece by piece, they discovered a group of threaded holes in one part that were supposed to be for mounting a piece of equipment….that never got into the airplane. But the Tupolev Bureau only knew that there were threaded holes in that part for some reason, and by Lenin’s beard they were going to be on the Tu-4 – and they were, on every one they built.
Mike
Reminds me of the story about Rolls Royce buying the first Hydramatic transmissions form GM – Rolls being Rolls felt they could improve on the design.
Part of the inside of the casing had a rough cast – and Rolls set about smoothing that out.
The install the unit to a car and it isn’t shifting smoothly.
Back & forth to GM and it turns out the rough side of the casting was supposed to be there – for the movement of the fluid.
I think the Russkies had another problem with the B-29ski – trying to rememebr what it was – tires? hydraulic gear part?
There is a P-61 Black Widow being restored to flying condition at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum. I wrote about it here:
http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/32270.html
David. Living in Chicago and conservative Chicagoboyz is a daily read for me. It’s also how I met Mike. I’ve been reading your blog since 2003 and am I huge fan.
I do remember this post and prob how I found out about the -61 restoration.
Good Lord… the design of that ACIG link! Neon green print on black? I sincerely doubt there’s any other combination that’s harder on the eyes. I had to cut ‘n’ paste into a Word doc to read the narrative…
Nice post, Mav.
Being that we have sucn a scarcity of flyable B-29s maybe we could buy some TU-4s
“I’m pretty sure that’s an Ilyushin DB-3.”
it’s tupolev SB 2M-103 (or 105)